Clerkenwell: the home of loft living
Clerkenwell has become so achingly cool that the affluent young entrepreneurs who work in its creative businesses are desperate to live there, too.
The best new homes 2012
Here we showcase this year's winners of our London Evening Standard New Homes Awards - the capital's property Oscars.
Spotlight on Camden Town
The shops and markets clustered around the high street and canal make Camden one of the most colourful of London's neighbourhoods. The area's period homes and loft-style apartments attract a mix of homebuyers.
Move to St Albans and you get two cities for the price of one
Moving out of the capital doesn’t have to mean a longer commute or even a change of job.
My design London: Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley reveals her latest design project; discusses friend Damien Hirst's artwork, as well as her favourite restaurants and design shops in London.
Find a rated tradesman
Want to add value to your property, make your house a home, or sell your place fast? With 1,000s of tradesmen nationwide, rated and recommended by previous customers, this is the smart way to find a reputable tradesman.
Buy of the week: high church
This former masonic chapel in Chiswick has been converted into a three-bedroom home (£1.175 million) with a 30-foot open-plan, double-height reception room. The kitchen is a black glossy affair, there’s a study, a cinema room and a decked roof terrace.
Swap of the week: Blackboys, East Sussex
Honeys Green farmhouse is a Grade II-listed pile that sits in a couple of acres and offers versatile living with an annexe and outdoor heated pool. Inside has character galore among four bedrooms and an attic room with pretty views.
Life-changer: South Petherton, Somerset
Willowbrook is a five-bedroom beauty (£1.15 million) with a 52-foot reception room and garages that could become a holiday apartment. Make a B&B business there and your guests could use the indoor pool and gym complex or roam your two-acre garden.
Spotlight on Tunbridge Wells
It may have temporarily lost its iron-rich spring but Tunbridge Wells has buckets of charm to make up for it.-
Buy of the week: high church
This former masonic chapel in Chiswick has been converted into a three-bedroom home (£1.175 million) with a 30-foot open-plan, double-height reception room. The kitchen is a black glossy affair, there’s a study, a cinema room and a decked roof terrace. -
Swap of the week: Blackboys, East Sussex
Honeys Green farmhouse is a Grade II-listed pile that sits in a couple of acres and offers versatile living with an annexe and outdoor heated pool. Inside has character galore among four bedrooms and an attic room with pretty views. -
Life-changer: South Petherton, Somerset
Willowbrook is a five-bedroom beauty (£1.15 million) with a 52-foot reception room and garages that could become a holiday apartment. Make a B&B business there and your guests could use the indoor pool and gym complex or roam your two-acre garden.
Property search
How to survive redundancy
Over the next few months it is estimated that 300,000 people could lose their jobs, with London taking the biggest hit. Here are some tips on how to survive. By Ruth Bloomfield
© PA
If you are worried about redundancy, consider insuring your mortgage. Most lenders offer policies that will pay out for a set period if you lose your job
Insure your mortgage
If you are worried about redundancy, consider insuring your mortgage.
Most lenders offer policies that will pay out for a set period if you lose your job, but check the small print to make sure they pay out quickly and not just once you have been jobless for six or 12 months.
Some credit-card firms also allow you to insure your account, so if your income stops, your bill is gradually paid off.
Negotiate smaller monthly payments
If you are struggling with mortgage payments, talk to your lender and see if you can renegotiate a smaller monthly payment in the short term. For free and impartial advice on debt, try www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk.
Seek legal advice
Seek legal advice and make sure you get everything you are entitled to from your employer - it should pay for your notice period plus a sum for each year worked at the firm. Some employers are open to negotiation and if you can’t get more cash you may be able to walk away with perks such as your company car. Pay-outs are tax-free up to £30,000.
Invest your pay-out
Put your pay-out in a high-interest savings account with instant access and talk to an independent financial adviser (IFA) about your financial options (www.ifa.org.uk).
Pay off debts
If you can afford to, pay off debts - particularly high-interest cards. Paying off some of your mortgage is also a good move, so long as you leave enough to live on until you are working again.
See a pension adviser
If you have a pension, arrange to see a pension adviser at your employer before you leave, to discuss how much you are owed. Then discuss your next move with an IFA. They will help you decide whether to leave it in that scheme or to transfer it.
Financial assistance
Once you are out of work you may be entitled to the Jobseeker’s Allowance, paid to men under 65 and women under 60 who are actively seeking employment. Citizens Advice (www.citizensadvice.org.uk) will be able to tell you whether you qualify.
Be creative
Be creative in your hunt for a new job. Recruitment consultant Eden Brown recommends updating your CV and networking with contacts and recruitment agencies to maximise opportunities.
More articles
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London’s epidemic of discounting
A combination of greedy sellers, nervous buyers and unscrupulous estate agents who promise sky-high prices in order to tempt clients, is being blamed for an epidemic of discounting in the London property market, where a third of all homes for sale have had their original asking price slashed.
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New Homes Awards 2012: the winners
From classy commuter mansions to city-centre apartments at NEO Bankside and first-time buys to penthouses, this year’s best new homes were awarded for innovative design, eco living and impressive architecture.
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Only 639 new homes are for sale in Greater London
The scarcity of land is changing the face of London as offices become homes and commercial centres go residential.
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The best new homes 2012
Here we showcase this year's winners of our London Evening Standard New Homes Awards - the capital's property Oscars.
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Property insider: Islington
Well-connected Islington is a hotspot for City workers and young professionals who are seeking more space than a Square Mile crash pad without a long commute. We take a property tour of N1 and its surrounding neighbourhoods.
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Can anything be done when a seller puts the price up?
We should have exchanged contracts on our new house last Friday, but the seller upped the price on Thursday by £25,000, so it didn’t happen. Also, his sister is living there and can’t move out until July. Can he do this? Does it matter that’s she’s living there?
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The accidental landlord
Our accidental landlord doesn't know where to look when she ends up meeting a tenant who is happy to chat in just his boxer shorts.
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Diary of an estate agent
A Pangbourne estate agent finds the balancing act of the exchange process pays off if he can duck the crossfire.
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Secret money-saving tips
Times are tight but frugal life doesn’t have to be boring. Follow these secret money-savers - from discounts at Starbucks and the cinema, to free kids meals at restaurants.
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Homes that slash your heating bills by 90 per cent
The UK’s first “greenhauses” - highly efficient German-designed homes said to slash utility bills by 90 per cent, have been unveiled in west London.
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